Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Imagine living in a world without books, where people are devoid of emotion, and censorship smothers all creativity.

Guy Montag is an intellectual who has spent most of his life in a numb trance. One night he comes home from a long day of burning books, and meets a unique, 17-year-old girl named Clarisse McClellan, who turns his world around. She tells him about a time when people didn't live in fear, when books weren't banned, and when firefighters put out fires instead of starting them. Her words make him rethink the happiness that he thought he lived in, and he realizes that ignorance is in fact not bliss, and to be truly happy, he must learn as much as he can about the world around him, and about the books that are so forbidden in his society.

Montag is thrust into a world of new realizations where he must re-evaluate who he truly is and what he is destined to become – all the while evading the law, for censorship is the law. Together, Montag, and his ally, an ex-English teacher named Faber, try to solve some of these mysteries, and explore the world of literature. But his satisfaction with his discoveries doesn't last long, because law enforcement is close behind, and he is forced to run.

Ray Bradbury establishes a connection with his characters that authors rarely generate, and as Montag starts developing, you begin to feel his frustration and confusion almost as if you yourself were in this dystopia.

Watching Montag's character learn and grow is fascinating. I felt compelled by his actions, by his bravery, and his desire to really know why things happen, while the rest of the world wants only to know how they happen.

Bradbury does an astonishing job of putting Montag's world into perspective. As you progress through the book, he unveils many concepts that make you extremely appreciative that we live in this day and age, where free thought and literature are encouraged, not banned.